Sego v Sarko
In the summer, both Britain and France will have a new political leadership, but currently it’s much easier to be sure who will be heading the UK than our Continental neighbour. The race for the French presidency – with ballots on 22 April and 6 May – is between the Right-wing Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy and his Socialist rival Segolene Royal. The “Observer” today has one page in the main section and two pages in the business section (including a summary of their policies) devoted to the battle of ideas.
As a life-long member of the British Labour Party, there’s no doubt that I”m supporting Royal, but Sarkozy has some appealing policies (such as more flexibility over working hours and retirement age). Royal is currently trailing in the opinion polls, but tomorrow evening she appears on French television for two hours to answer questions from a cross-section of 100 voters. Go for it, Sego.